If I'm Not A Gamer, Why Should I....

[Mountain]

run faster than 650-750, with ram at 140-150? I'm wondering what the value would be to "attain" the gigahertz level. Other than ego.(Not that there's anything wrong with that)
I'm really just an old net surfer and i use my Plextor occasionally. Thanks.

 

[Imported]

If you do heavy graphics, cad, digital editing, etc. a faster PC is always helpful.

 

[Quickfingerz]

you shouldn't. For my friends that just surf the net, i'd just buy them a t-bird 650 and the cheapest feature-less motherboard that i could find with ram that could run at pc133 cas2 and get 128 mb of it. I'd also get a Quantum Fireball LM. If they can tolerate the noise.

for non-CPU intensive users (ie:net-surfers), 128mb of ram at cas2 and a fast hard drive helps though. CPU means nothing though.

 

[Mountain]

I've got a 15 gig IBM 7200 rpm and later this week will put in the kingmax 150 , when it arrives. got the millinium II agp. can't find the reason to get better. oh, and the dsl will be showing up in a month. doing ok, dont you think? thanks.

 

[ebgb]

Spend the bucks you save on a nice monitor. For net surfers, this seems to have the greatest impact, hard drive speed notwithstanding.

 

[JellyBaby]

Becoming a gamer is the destiny of us all. Now how can you ever expect to become a gamer if you lack the proper system?

But if you stick to your non-gaming stance, follow the advice of the others. You'll still be able to play most of the $19.95 toys if you so choose.

 

[Quickfingerz]

Gaming is just a hobby if you don't do it then it's probably fine. Gamers are taking a smaller and smaller part of the CPU market ( as more people ) become surfers and mail-checkers.

 

[JellyBaby]

Quickfingerz,

Yet there are more gamers than ever. Gaming has lead the way in CPU and Video innovation. Without us you'd be living in a command-line driven world, still listening to PC Speaker audio with narry a mouse in sight (except for that cute little critter nibbling at your toes). Recognize us, admire us, love us but no need to fear us!

 

[gnognugs]

Fragging...

 

[UKtaxman]

I have to agree with EBGB here. Spend as much as you can on a sh@t hot monitor, as this is the least upgradeable part of a pC. If you are not playing games then a celeron 300, $15 gfx card, $10 sound and 2gb HD will suffice. Forget all the bells and whistles as they aren't necessary. It's the graphics that take up the power, lose the graphics and you gain the performance. I make low user PC's and to be honest 9 times out of 10 the monitor costs far more than the rest of the system put together!
Surfing and word processing use ah heck all resources.

 

[zippy]

Yeah...I hate to admit it as a hardcore computer hardware freak...but I am but a surfer, email checker, MP3 player, AIM talking lamer. <sniff> <sniff>

Well, actually, I used to be addicted to Rogue Spear (3-5 hours a day...during the summer sometimes more...) and I had a brief embrace with UT (2 weeks...it's way too easy though- I was keeping up in the advanced rooms by my 3rd day- pretty sad). However, I simply don't have the time for it now.

I'll see what comes out in the next generation of games though...if something truly good with DX8 support comes out in a few months maybe I'll splurge and get a Geforce3 or Radeon2 (when it comes out)- right now I'm on a G400 MAX from Oct. '99. It plays (played) UT and Rogue Spear quite well and it's 2D can't be beat so I see no reason to change. Oh, and my P3 550e@808 is more than enough...I've considered going Tbird/Duron- but there really is no reason. <sigh> I want a bigger/faster hard drive...but since I reinstalled windows 3 weeks ago I've only filled 2.5GB's of my 13.6GB's (my 6.4GB MP3/back up hard drive is full though ). I want more RAM...and I'll get more because the price is so low...but I don't really need it.

The one thing I wish I could upgrade is my monitor. Samsung Syncmaster 900p- it's nice and all, probably one of the better non-flat screens out there, but the SyncMaster 955DF I got my friend for his system is damn sweet. Or an LCD...but a 19&quot; LCD is like $3000 and a 17&quot; LCD is $1500. 15&quot; is too small for me.

And so ends the great lament of a power hungry computer junkie.

 

[gnognugs]

I finally took the plunge on a 21&quot; M.
I will never have to spend that much at once again on a computer part.
Oh, and I'm happy.

Zippy, do they have a 12 step program for gamers? I need a meeting

 

[Dulanic]

Gaming rules LAN partys rule too... I was shocked at the last LAN party I went to... 2 girls... 100 people total but still! I had never seen a female at a LAN party before, even if they where jail bait. You'd think theyd be ugly like us (LOL just kidding) but they werent. I thought I was a gamer till I saw how much they got into the game! I thought the extent of women and games was solitare and everquest, ok maybe not but still.

Either way gaming rules! I may not be the biggest fragger, infact I suck at FPS games... but the rest I love. MechWarrior 4... ohhhhh. Ok now everyone make fun of me! Also I do realize I made little to no sense in this post.

 

[Judgement]

I can't speak for everyone, but I didn't start with computers for games...I just kind of slipped into it. You might want to consider the idea that you may *POSSIBLY* want to be a gamer in the not-so-far ahead future

I find it incredibly entertaining. Even the most violent video-games bow down the the gruesomeness of the news lately, not to mention it is SO much less boring, and brings a sense of accomplishment.

 

[Aquaman]

I'm not a heavy gamer but I always buy the best computer that I can afford at the time so that I don't have to upgrade so often. Heck, if your not a power user or serious gamer, your not going to change your stuff every 6 months

Just my 2 cents

Cheers,
Aquaman